


Don't Come Back A Ghost My Love (I Need You Warm)

by Lilsciencequeen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence - Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Happy Ending, Happy Remus Lupin, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Pre-Battle of Hogwarts, Remus Lupin Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:01:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilsciencequeen/pseuds/Lilsciencequeen
Summary: “Please,” she begged, holding his hand in hers as well as she could. “Please. Don’t go. Stay.” Tears clung to her lashes, dropping down onto the blanket.“I have too,” he told her, squeezing her hand, a gesture that was meant to be reassuring but seemed empty. “I have too and then this, all of this, is over. Think of it Dora, the life that we can have. The life that Teddy can have. Think about it.”// A Deathly Hallows AU in which Tonks can't go to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Relationships: Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	Don't Come Back A Ghost My Love (I Need You Warm)

“Please,” she begged, holding his hand in hers as well as she could. “Please. Don’t go. Stay.” Tears clung to her lashes, dropping down onto the blanket. 

“I have too,” he told her, squeezing her hand, a gesture that was meant to be reassuring but seemed empty. “I have too and then this, all of this, is over. Think of it Dora, the life that we can have. The life that Teddy can have. Think about it.”

And she did think about it. About the peace they could have.

About the life they could have.

“It’ll be safe.” He nodded, using the hand that wasn’t holding hers, to brush a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. The colour had faded from it, and it hung limp and lifeless around her face.

“I’ll be back before the night is over. I’ll be back in the morning, that I swear.”

“I can’t lose you.” Every emotion that she had been holding back came bursting from her. Sobs tore through her body: the grief of having lost her father, the elation of having a family, the fear of potentially losing her husband. It all rushed through her and so so much more. “Promise me, Remus, promise me that you’ll come home. Promise Teddy.”

Lupin cast a glance over his shoulder, at the cot that was placed along one of the bedroom walls, were Teddy lay asleep. He was peaceful, his hair changing colour as he slept. A smile pulled Lupin’s lips up, looking at how peaceful this was and a thought flickered through him. What  _ if  _ he stayed at home. What if he ignored the message, calling people to fight. Calling everyone that was able to fight to Hogwarts. What if he got back into pyjamas, curled up in bed with his wife, their son asleep across the room and slept until it was all over, awaking to the news that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated once and for all.

Harry was leading the fight, and if there was anyone who could do it, then it was Harry. They could all end it, and they wouldn’t even need him.

He could enjoy this bliss. This obliviousness.

But no, he had to fight. 

He had to do what he could to create a better world for his son.

One where he wouldn’t be  ostracized for who his parents were.

One where there would be no violence.

No death.

A world where he could grow happy and healthy.

A world where they could be a family.

“You’re going to fight, aren’t you?” she asked, and slowly he nodded, and she knew that he wouldn't change his mind. He knew, she knew, they both knew that this was the right thing. That this was what needed to be done. She sighed, then reached up, cupping her hand around his cheek and committing his face to memory in case her worst nightmare became reality. “Be safe. And come home.”

“I promise.”

And he leaned closer to her, closing the gap that was between them and kissed her.

***

Hours passed and still, she couldn’t settle. She had heard nothing from any of the Order, or anyone in Hogwarts. Her mother had been pestering her to take her potions, that she needed them or it would take even longer to recover.

But she didn’t care about that. Not now.

Not when she didn’t know if her husband was alive or not.

So she stayed awake for hours, waiting for anything to come through on the radio.

She would stay awake for the next week if she had too.

But there was nothing.

Radio silence.

“Dora?”

The question came from her mother, standing in the doorway. She looked as anxious as her daughter was. 

“I haven’t heard anything.”

“I know.”

The words were meaningless, and they both knew that but at this moment Andromeda couldn’t think of anything better to say. There were no words that could provide reassurance but at this moment, she could be there for her daughter.

Something that was oh so more important. 

In only a few footsteps, she crossed the room and climbed onto the bed, pulling her daughter into her arms. 

Tonks sank into the embrace, favouring it as she sobbed. As she shattered like glass, tiny fragments spilling everywhere. The embrace was comforting, and in this moment, where her world was on the edge, it was home. 

Because that was the safest place.

In a mother’s arms.

***

Dawn had arrived, the first rays breaking through what had been the darkest and the longest night, causing rainbows to dance on the dew-covered grass.

And here, in the remote English countryside, it was like there hadn’t been a battle at all. There wasn't  a cloud in the sky, a reminder that summer was slowly on the way. Here it was peaceful, a fairytale where nothing bad could, or would happen.

And Lupin walked up the path slowly, gravel crunching underfoot. 

He had left Hogwarts as soon as he could when it was safe and evil had been defeated. Kingsley had told him as soon as it was possible for him to go that he could leave. He hadn’t even tried to argue. Not this time. He needed to get home to see his wife.

To see his son.

And now he was here, only mere moments away from them.

He just had to make it up the drive. Andromeda was already waiting for him, standing in the doorway and though she looked exhausted as though she hadn't slept all night, he could see the relief in her face. And not just at the fact that he was home, that he was alive. 

But the fact that he was here showed that good had won. They had prevailed. Because they both knew had  _ his _ side won, it wouldn’t be Remus walking up the drive.

“Is she?” he asked, stepping into the house around Andromeda. He tried to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake either his son or his wife in the unlikely event that they were asleep.

“She’s awake, spent most of the night awake. But her and Teddy, they’ve just had their breakfast. They’re waiting for you. Wanting to see you. They got your message this morning.” A pause, a question hanging in the air. “How bad was it?”

“We lost people. Good people. But we won. There’s…” He wasn’t sure how to begin to explain what had happened. What he had seen that night. “It’s hard. To explain but Harry - He did it. He was always going to do it.”

A nod from Andromeda confirmed to him that she had believed that as well. That Harry was always going to win. And when silence fell between them, she shook her head and spoke once more. “Go. She’s waiting for you.”

***

And she was waiting, nursing Teddy in her arms, using one finger to gently caress the side of his face. Her words were low and he wasn’t able to hear them, except for a few words about daddy and love and coming home to him. Staying in the doorway for a few moments, he allowed himself to take in the scene that was so tender, so full of love. He wanted to remember this moment forever. For as long as he could.

Finally, he allowed his presence to be known, the floorboards creaking underfoot as he entered the bedroom. “Dora.”

The one word, his favourite word, left his lips, a slow murmur escaping them.

Her head shot up. “Remus. You came home.” Her eyes widened then softened, her hair relaxing as well, no longer mousy brown but the bright vibrant pink she favoured. Everything about her relaxed, the tension, the fear, the worry melting away now that her husband had come home.

“I was always going to come home, I promise.” Kicking off his shoes and dropping his jacket down onto the ground, he crawled into the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her in close. “I wasn’t going to leave you or Teddy.” 

Her head came to rest against his shoulder and Teddy seemed to settle in her arms, no longer fussing. A smile crossed her face as he did so. “He missed you. We both missed you."

The words hung between them, and so many more that remained unspoken. "I know that I... I will never be able to tell you how sorry I am for this... for all of this."

She shook her head. "No, you don't. You don't have to apologise. It was war. And war is brutal and cruel and it takes and it takes but it didn't... it didn't take you."

"And it won't take me now. Or ever. We won. Good won. We have this life ahead of us. For us. For him." He looked down at his son, now asleep once more. Finally settled after a restless night. He couldn't help but smile at this. At the future that was stretched out ahead of him. One that was so much better than it had been only hours ago. "We won Dora."

"We did." It seemed as though she were unsure, unable to believe the words. And he was surprised too. It was over after so many years of fear and terror. There was hope. There was a future.

One that was better for everyone involved.

One he was excited to experience with his family.

He pressed his lips to his wife’s forehead, a kiss, one showing her that he was still here. “I’m always going to be here, Dora. Always.” The words that he told her were a promise and a vow and it was one that he knew would never be broken. 

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, I'm going to be honest here, I don't know if the lyrics are right. Google is saying something else but me and the squad are hearing ghost so we are going with ghost cause 3 of us outnumber 1. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this one, I really hope that you enjoyed it :)


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